Sustainable careers: towards a conceptual model

Question 1

Describe the theoretical framework used to describe and study sustainability of careers

Answer 1

Question 2

What does a sustainable career involve (5)

Answer 2

1. sequences of career experiences
2. Several social spaces
3. individual agency
4. Adaptive
5. Meaning

Question 3

What are the 2 different approaches in this theoretical framework?

Answer 3

a systemic approach
a dynamic approach

Question 4

what does a systemic approach entail? (2)

Answer 4

(1) Understand multiple factors affecting career sustainability
(2) Multiple stakeholder perspective as each individuals’ career is influenced by their context

Question 5

What does a dynamic approach entail? (2)

Answer 5

(1) How do changes over time affect career sustainability
(2) Long-term perspective instead of measuring at one point in time

Question 6

What are the 3 unique indicators of a sustainable career?

Answer 6

(1) Health - career fit with mental and physical capabilities
(2) Happiness - career fit with goals, values, growth and work/life balance
(3) productivity - career fit with organizational HR and strong current performance + high employability or potential int he future

Question 7

What are the principles of conservation of resources theory? (2)

Answer 7

(1)Primacy of resource loss principle (losses loom larger than gains)
(2) Resource investment principle; protect, gain and recover

Question 8

Describe sustainable career from conservation of resources theory (3)

Answer 8

(1) A resource can help individuals to attain a career goal or satisfy a need
(2) Career sustainability can be enhanced if one manages to adjust well to losses
(3) Concluding: individuals who proactively react to internal and external forces by investing in and conserving + acquiring alternative resources will be better able to protect the sustainability of their career

Question 9

What does self-determination theory entail (3)

Answer 9

Need for autonomy
Need for competence
need for relatedness

Question 10

How is autonomy fulfilled in a sustainable career

Answer 10

Individuals are inherently proactive and have a tendency to act

Question 11

How is relatedness fulfilled in a sustainable career

Answer 11

individuals need an environment that provides resources and support activity and growth

Question 12

How is competence fulfilled in a sustainable career

Answer 12

Individuals have an inherent tendency towards growth and development

Question 13

What is the Matthew effect? (2)

Answer 13

People can find themselves in both resource gain and resource loss cycles.
Loss cycles make it increasingly difficult to fulfill basic psychological needs

Question 14

What is selection, optimization and compensation theory? (SOC)

Answer 14

Individuals maximize gains and minimize losses they experience over time by using different strategies

Question 15

What are the 3 different life span goals?

Answer 15

1. Growth (higher level of functioning)
2. Maintenance (maintaining current levels of functioning)
3. Regulation of loss (functioning adequately at lower levels)

Question 16

What are the 3 different dimensions for analyzing sustainable careers?

Answer 16

1. Person dimension
2. Context dimension
3. Time dimension

Question 17

What does agency mean?

Answer 17

What can a person do themselves to shape their careers. Which action possibilities do they have and apply?

Question 18

What does the person dimension entail (2)?

Answer 18

1. Agency
2. Meaning

Question 19

What does agency entail? (2)

Answer 19

1. Proactivity
2. Adaptability

Question 20

How is seeing your work as job, career or calling different? (3)

Answer 20

As job = focus on financial rewards and necessity
As career = focus on advancement
As calling = focus on enjoyment or fulfillment

Question 21

What does the context dimension entail (5)?

Answer 21

1. Work group level
2. organizational level
3. Sector context
4. national level
5. Private life context

Question 22

What is the role of time as inter-individual factor in sustainable careers?

Answer 22

Changes over time across different groups of people
For example surgeon; invests way more time int raining than a cashier

Question 23

What is the role of time as an intra-individual factor in sustainable careers?

Answer 23

Changes over time in an individual’s career, for example due to aging, personal context other changes in other life domains

Question 24

What does it mean that sustainable careers imply a cyclical, self-regulatory process?

Answer 24

Individuals can capture opportunities for dynamic learning by adapting to both positive/negative events within their personal and broader context over time. This allows individuals to adapt and influence their environment by sharpening their understanding of themselves, their personal and organizational context and the broader labour market

Question 25

What are the consequences of selection, optimization and compensation theory in regards to resource allocation and age (2)

Answer 25

1. Allocation aimed at growth will decrease with age
2. Allocation aimed at maintenance and regulation of loss will increase with age